Prison Riot Erupts at Calipatria State Prison
A riot at Calipatria State Prison Saturday afternoon leaves 35 inmates injured.
Mostly, it was bumps and bruises … but two were taken to pioneer memorial hospital with more serious injuries.
Lt. Shawn Mclinn with Calipatria Sate Prison described the riot as “everything, fighting, stabbing, kicking … that’s fighting.”
He said “the two inmates had injures consistent with stab wounds, possibly even sliced.”
It took two warning shots from corrections officers to break up the fight.
While the investigation moves forward, the prison is under a modified program.
Mclinn says inmates “shower and outside of that they stay in their cell.”
The program applies to all African American inmates … That’s 60 percent of the prison population. It does not include inmates of any other race.
Lt. Mclinn says its because everyone involved in the riot was African American. He added “we have to take into consideration all general population inmates could be involved.”
Prison officials are looking into whether the uprising was gang related, but have not determined this conclusion so far.
That same day, a horrifying discovery came to light. An inmates body was found.
Samuel Johnson’s was found in the same area the riot occured. Johnson was serving a 37 year sentence for second degree murder.
Prison officials believe he died of natural causes, but aren’t ruling anything out, including the riot.
Johnson’s autopsy is expected to be later this week.